


A Stranger's Order

by yunbuns



Category: FFVII, Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Blind Character, F/M, Implied Relationships, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 13:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10022411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yunbuns/pseuds/yunbuns
Summary: An AU request from tumblr.





	

**White peach green tea!** ’ 

      From behind the counter, the barista shouted the order over the music and small chit-chatter that carried out throughout the shop. Auburn irises didn’t bother moving their gaze from the highlighted notes they were currently scanning over; he already knew _who_ the order belong to. She ordered it every day, never changing it once. The uniqueness of her order never failed to stand out compared to the typical orders of frappuccino, espresso and various other types of coffee. Popping of the top of his highlighter with his teeth, he began highlighting another section of his notes as he could hear her shuffling out of her seat to retrieve her order. It was then that he finally glanced up from the mess of papers sprawled across the table he was seated at.

       Her name was Tifa, which he had learned because of the multiple times he had heard the barista’s calling her name to pick up her order. In truth they had never _actually_ had a conversation and it felt strange knowing her name when he didn’t even know what the face behind it even truly looked like. Large, black sunglasses always framed her small, round face - no matter the day or weather - and as much hated to admit it, he was curious to what the face behind them actually looked like. It was almost embarrassing to think about how much time he had wasted away analyzing the various possibilities. 

        Did she have a scar? Were her eyes simply sensitive to light? Did she just really happen to enjoy donning the _same_ pair of black shades everyday? Asking these mundane questions to himself had practically become a part of his routine nearly as much as ordering ‘White Peach Green Tea’ every morning was a part of hers. He sighed as she turned around to return to her seat, averting his eyes down towards his own drink before taking a sip. It was strange how much this woman had piqued his interest. Was his life that dull that he he was beginning to let his mind wander onto complete strangers?

        Snorting to himself, he shook his head as he began gathering his notes and placing into his messenger bag. Standing up, he swung the bag over his shoulder and he took one last sip of his coffee before tossing the cup into the nearest trash bin as he headed out the door, resisting the urge to spare a parting glance at the woman. The morning air was chill and windy, a early sign that winter was gaining upon them. Zipping up his jacket, he didn’t pay much attention to the strangers coming in and out of the shop behind him as he made of his way off to work. His hurried steps hadn’t managed to get very far from the coffee shop when a gust wind blew by and was instantly followed by the sound of a horrified ‘ _No_!’ behind him. 

         Typically he would have just kept walking, leaving whoever it was to deal with their own misfortune as he preferred not to mettle in other’s problems. Yet something made him stop to reluctantly glance back behind him…and there she was. Knelt down on the ground, frantically trying to pick up papers that littered the sidewalk as her cup laid on the ground and spilled out a brown liquid - the tea she had _just_ ordered less then five minutes ago. The crowd around her continued onwards, to in a hurry to stop and assist even for a moment. Without hesitating, he doubled back and bent down to help, swiftly gathering the scattered papers in his hands. Stealing a quick glance at a few of the tea-stained papers, he discovered that they were all…music sheets? Did she happen to be a musician?

    ‘ **Thank you for your help.** ’ The sound of her voice pulled him away from the sheets and he glanced up to see her removing her shades,  revealing the face that he had spent too many mornings speculating about. It was…relatively normal - _cute_ even. A gentle pair of crimson colored eyes meet his but he couldn’t help but notice that her gaze seemed almost…empty? ‘ **Are those all of them? The wind completely caught me off guard and I’m afraid I can’t quite see.’** She teased shyly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

    He was silent at first; staring at her blankly before the wheels in his mind began churning at last….

    She was _blind_ and he was an oblivious  _moron_.

   ' **I believe this is all of them… Unfortunately y** **our drink got on quite a few**.’ He admitted, trying to neaten the mess of papers for her and avoid getting tea on himself in the process.

   Her lips parted and a laugh - light and sweet - escaped them as she smiled at him. ‘ **They’ll dry eventually.** ’ She stated as she stood up and dusted herself off. Her mouth partially opened before it was quickly closed shut as she hesitated on saying what was on the edge of her tongue. ‘ **Thank you again for your help. I really appreciate it.** ’

  Xehanort’s eyebrow quirked in confusion; that wasn’t what she initially wanted to say but he wasn’t going to press her for her thoughts as he had things to do and places to be. ‘ **It’s no problem.** ’ He reassured, casually glancing down at his watch. Fifteen minutes til 9. He was going to be late if he didn’t get going…

   ‘ **You…wouldn’t happen to be _Xehanort_ would you?** ’ She asked him timidly, causing him to jerk up from his watch and back up at her. He scanned her face for an answer to his confusion but all he received in return was her glazed eyes blinking curiously at him as she awaited his response.

     This woman certainly knew how to keep him on his toes at least. ‘ **How do you kno-** ’

    She interrupted him with another one of her laughs - a sound he was beginning to enjoy, ‘ ** **You always order your coffee black**.** ’ She answered which only managed to leave him even more baffled than he had already been. ‘ **I…recognized your voice. Listening to other’s orders is sort of a way I um…how do I phrase this… _pass the time_ I guess. Sitting alone in a coffee shop can be dull from time to time.** ’ She admitted, her eyes trailing to the ground to gaze at nothing. ‘ **Th-This probably sounds weird doesn’t it?** ’ She asked, cocking her head to the side as her eyes remained fixated on the sidewalk.

   ‘ **It’s not that abnormal.** ” He countered before he could stop himself. “ **I occasionally do the same thing from time to time myself.** ’

   Her head jolted up in surprise, eyes coming alive with excitement. ‘ **You do?** ’

   His cheeks grew warm as he immediately regretted admitting something so embarrassing to a stranger - to _her_. ‘ **I…** ’ He sighed. There wasn’t any point of hiding it. ‘ **You order a white peach green tea every morning.** ’ He replied quietly, a small piece of him glad that she couldn’t see the blush across his face.

   Her own smile grew a tad bit wider, clearly impressed. ‘ **And now it’s on the _ground_.** ’ She replied with an annoyed, fake huff. 

    ‘ **I can treat you to another one**.’ He blurted before quickly adding, ‘ **if…you would like me to of course?** ’ At this rate he was going to be late for work yet strangely he didn’t mind. Besides, buying her a cup of tea would only take five minutes at best.

    A shy smile spread across her face and he couldn’t fight the small grin that crept along his face as well. ‘ **I would like that**.’ She answered happily as she waited for him to lead the way back to the cafe.

    He never ended up going to work that day. He called in sick.


End file.
